After living the hype of Major League Lacrosse season since the
December expansion draft for the Charlotte Hounds and Ohio Machine,
it's hard to believe the MLL season has finally come to a close
with the Bayhawks 16-6 win over Denver on Sunday.

Before the excitement of the 2012 season leaves us and we start
looking forward to the prospects for the 2013 season, let's recap
this year and take time to examine what this season taught us.

1. The 2-point shot is a game-changer

One big way the Chesapeake Bayhawks separated themselves from
the rest of the pack this season was the 2-point shot. The team set
an MLL record with 28 2-point goals scored, 13 more than
second-place Ohio, and 15 more than four other teams. In the
playoffs, the Bayhawks scored a pair of 2-pointers in the
semifinals and championship game, compared to zero for either
opponent.

While record-setting Kyle Dixon did not score any game-winners
he did have 15 2-point goals. The Bayhawks won four games this
season by one or two goals. They scored 11 2-pointers to their
opponents' seven in those games (three of which were coincidentally
against playoff teams Boston, Long Island and Denver). Every point
matters, especially in close games of that nature.

What you see in professional sports is when one team wins the
championship with a very specific style or tactic, the rest of the
league begins to follow suit. Thanks to coach Dave Cottle's theory
and Chesapeake's success behind the arc, teams may start to work on
getting outside shooters that can be successful beyond the arc.

That's not to say we'll see guys shooting, let alone scoring, 10
2-pointers a game. But it will become more of an in-game tool.

2. Rookies can succeed immediately

In 2011 the MLL runner-up Hamilton Nationals sported rookies
Kevin Crowley, Jeremy Boltus, David Earl and Stephen Keogh. All
four were immensely talented players that played pivotal roles in
the team's success.

Both Denver and Long Island were criticized in the offseason for
their personnel and not much was expected from either team. But
both teams made it to Harvard Stadium and their rookies played huge
roles in their success. Bocklet scored six goals in Denver's
record-breaking, Brendan Mundorf-less comeback over Long Island in
the semifinals.

Add in Rochester's Mike Manley, who helped to vastly improve the
Rattlers' defense as well as the Ohio Machine's Steele Stanwick and
Joe Cummings and rookies are coming into the league ready to play,
which is unlike most other pro sports leagues in America.

3. The Denver Outlaws are an elite
franchise

Sure, the Outlaws may be snake-bitten, without a championship in
seven tries and with their best player, and league MVP, going down
to an ankle injury during MLL Championship Weekend. But think about
what Denver has done since it came into the league. The Outlaws
have played in MLL for seven years and have made the playoffs in
every single one of those seasons, breaking an MLL record for
consecutive trips to the playoffs.

They were successful this season despite a new head coach and a
major roster overhaul (gone were top talents Max Seibald and Drew
Westervelt). The scouting and player personnel teams in Denver,
lead by general manager Tony Seaman and coach Jim Stagnitta, are
doing a good job.

The Outlaws came into the league as an expansion team in
2006—when there were 10 teams—and went 10-2 and made
the playoffs in their first season. Ask the Charlotte Hounds and
Ohio and Chicago Machine how difficult it is to succeed as an
expansion squad.

They constantly do well in attendance. They broke an attendance
record this year—one they set themselves last year—when
30,128 fans at their July 4 fireworks game against Ohio.

And ask the players. Outlaws players rave about the professional
facilities and management teams they have access to. Opposing
players always list Denver as a favorite place to play on the road
because of the fans and the atmosphere.

Denver may not have a championship yet, but they do have a
top-class organization that has put together a very good
product.

The Bayhawks and Cannons have faced each other in the semifinals
each of the past three seasons. Each time the winner of that game
has gone on to win the MLL Championship.

The games are physical duels. They are often close, for example
their first match-up this season (one point) and the semifinal
matchup last season (Max Quinzani's last-second goal in Hurricane
Irene). Adding to the storyline, Kip Turner—the 2010 Goalie
of the Year for Boston turned 2011 back-up—was a major reason
for Chesapeake's success this year.

These two teams are very successful and have a lot of respect
for each other. They bring extra intensity every time they play and
it is becoming a classic match-up each time they face each
other.

5. Paul Rabil is still getting better

The 27-year-old is often considered the best lacrosse player in
the world these days. And despite the fact he did not win his third
MVP award in 2012 he may have had his best season this year. That's
due to the emergence of his passing game to compliment his
shooting.

Rabil was never a selfish player, but he obliterated his
career-high in assists this season, tallying 38 in 2012, 20 more
than the career-high he set last season. Pundits around the league
have complimented Rabil on his ability to draw defenders and find
the open guy. Rabil has shown that he knows when the game calls for
him to dish the ball and get his teammates involved or when to
totally take over, a la Michael Jordan in his heyday.

In the past two seasons Rabil has gone about changing observer's
perceptions of him. After leading the Cannons to the 2011 title, he
is no longer a guy that can hit triple-digits on the radar gun who
has underachieved in the playoffs. He's a guy that delivers in the
clutch and has developed a passing game.

Fans should be anxious to see what new wrinkle one of the most
talented players to ever play the game develops for next
season.

6. There are good defenders other than Brodie
Merrill

Before this season, Brodie Merrill had won MLL Defensive Player
of the Year six straight times. While he still led all non-faceoff
specialists in ground balls (96, third overall) and was named to
the All-MLL team for a seventh consecutive season, Merrill was
dethroned by Denver veteran Lee Zink, and the league saw an
emergence of talented long-poles.

With the Bayhawks, previous Defensive Player of the Year Nicky
Polanco was strong along with Brian Spallina, who won his
MLL-leading fifth title. Other youngsters received a lot of credit
for their work this season including second-year pros Brian
Karalunas (Long Island) and Joel White (Rochester), who were both
All-Stars and Defensive Player of the Week winners, and All-Stars
Ryan Flanagan (Charlotte) and Brian Farrell (Boston), rookie CJ
Costabile (Long Island) and All-Star and Chesapeake's Michael
Evans, named All-MLL for the second straight year.

Some of these guys have been put in a position to guard some of
the league's best players such as Ryan Boyle, Paul Rabil and Matt
Danowski and have shined doing so.

There's a new crop of defenders and they're showing that they
can hang with the big boys in the league.

Since MLL players don't earn salaries comparable to stars in
other leagues like the NFL and the NBA they have to work other jobs
to earn a living. This often necessitates travel to and from
practices and games and commercial plane flights are common. Also,
because of different schedules, many players don't travel to away
games together.

On an MLL weekend during the summer, check out the Twitter
profiles of some of the players in league. Follow guys like
Jovan Miller and Kyle
Hartzell, and you'll see a lot of thoughts about
delayed flights, crazy red-eye schedules, and what to do with all
that time in the airports.

While it may not be too much fun for the players, they still go
through it so they can play the game we all love. That shows great
commitment.

8. Major League Lacrosse is only getting
bigger

This season was huge for the league. The league expanded by two
teams, had a national TV deal in place with two networks (ESPN and
CBS Sports Network) and all games could be seen on television or
streamed on the Internet. A record 312,007 fans came to the games
this year.

The Long Island Lizards stabilized their franchise with a new
ownership group that features NFL Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown. Brown
brought Lizards player Greg Gurenlian with him to ESPN's ESPY
awards show, where Gurenlian was even spotted on TV. Jovan Miller
and Chazz Woodson dazzled fans with plays that wound up on
SportsCenter's Top 10.

The league's exposure grew as did its accessibility. Now people
want more. Fans are excited for next season already. Everyone wants
to know what cities are going to be next in the expansion
plans.

The sport is growing in this country and Major League Lacrosse
is proving to be a viable source for great, entertaining
lacrosse.